Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition

Cornerback­s will be in abundance in this year’s draft.

- — Omar Kelly

Miami Dolphins beat writer Omar Kelly breaks down the 2017 NFL draft one position at a time in a 10-part series.

1. Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore: Lattimore, who played only 19 games in his three seasons at Ohio State, is athletic enough to fit in any scheme. However, he has a habit of getting grabby with receivers, which could lead to penalties.

2. Ohio State’s Gareon Conley: Conley, who recorded six intercepti­ons and 15 pass breakups in his three seasons at Ohio State, possesses scheme versatilit­y. But he’s at his best when lined up in press coverage. He breaks on the ball well, and has the ability to track the ball downfield.

3. LSU’s Tre’ Davious White: White was a four-year starter in the SEC who has a track record of not backing down from a challenge. He has a thin frame (5-11, 192 pounds) and isn’t a physical tackler. But some team will fall in love with his 4.32 40-yard dash time and quickness, which helps him shadow receivers.

4. Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey: Humphrey has prototypic­al size (6-0, 197 pounds) and speed (4.43), and has the strength to give bigger receivers trouble at the line of scrimmage. Unfortunat­ely, he has average instincts (five intercepti­ons in two years). 5. USC’s Adoree' Jackson: He’s an exceptiona­l athlete who possesses sensationa­l ball skills and body control, which indicates that he’ll become an immediate contributo­r despite his size (5-10, 186 pounds). His return skills could push him up the draft broad a bit because it provides added value. BEST OF THE REST Florida’s Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor, Washington’s Kevin King and Sidney Jones, Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie, Clemson’s Cordrea Tankersley, Iowa’s Desmond King, UCLA’s Fabian Moreau and Miami’s Corn Elder all have the talent to serve as NFL starters. San Diego State’s Damontae Kazee, Central Florida’s Shaquill Griffin, Miami’s Adrian Colbert, West Virginia’s Rasul Douglas, Florida State’s Marquez White and Michigan’s Jourdan Lewis and Channing Stribling are all good enough to make it onto an NFL team’s 53-man roster. CLASS GRADE Cornerback is the deepest position in the draft, which means teams that know how to evaluate the position properly could find a starter in later rounds. And there could be a few undrafted gems that make an NFL team because roughly three dozen cornerback­s in this draft have the talent to play in the NFL. Who gets picked in the first round comes down to a team’s style, size and personalit­y preference­s.

Grade: A TEAMS IN NEED Eagles, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Saints, Panthers, Packers, Bears, Seahawks, Cardinals, Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders, Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Titans, Jets and Bills DOLPHINS’ FOCUS Miami already has three players — Byron Maxwell, Tony Lippett and Xavien Howard — competing for the two starting boundary cornerback spots, and the Dolphins hope Bobby McCain continues to develop as a nickel cornerback in Year 3 as a starter. However, adding a player to compete with McCain, or eventually replace Maxwell, who likely won’t make it to his 2018 salary of $10 million, isn’t a bad idea. But the Dolphins can wait to address cornerback in the later rounds, adding a youngster who could push Lafayette Pitts and Jordan Lucas for their roster spot.

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